PROPERTY owners in an estate in Castletownbere are worried that a malfunctioning treatment plant will result in sewage back-filling into their homes, writes Jackie Keogh.

Cllr Finbarr Harrington (Ind) called for the suspension of standing orders at the May meeting of the West Cork Municipal District saying the residents of Mariner’s View are genuinely worried about having to leave their homes.

He said the estate of about 40 homes, which was built 20 years ago, has a very serious health and safety problem.

But the issue has not been addressed by Uisce Éireann, or the Council’s own environment department.

Cllr Harrington said the sewerage treatment plant has not been treated, or desludged, and this has led to sewage spilling onto ground where children are playing.

‘It’s not just a health and safety issue,’ he added, ‘it is an environmental issue that needs to be addressed because it is the kids are suffering.’

Cllr Harrington confirmed that during a recent visit ‘the smell was horrendous’ and he described the stressed home owners as being ‘at their wits end.

‘Residents are genuinely concerned that the sewage is going to back-up the pipes and that they are going to have to leave homes.’

The Independent councillor confirmed that Cork County Council did desludge the treatment plant once, when it was in charge of water, but since Uisce Éireann (UE) took it over nothing has been done.

He proposed that they should write to UE to get the treatment plant back up and running.

In addition, he said the Council’s own environment department should be notified of what’s happening at this estate.

‘It’s spilling out all over the place and residents are having to live with the smell and the fear that it will back up. If an ordinary householder, or farmer, did this they would be prosecuted and rightly so,’ he concluded.

It was agreed that in addition to writing to UE, the county engineer is to be notified and asked to forward their concerns to the Environmental Protection Agency